Belonging is defined in a variety of ways but most often refers to an individual's feelings of acceptance, inclusion, support, and respect within a certain environment. Belonging is an innate human need and contributes to success in academic and professional settings. Within occupational therapy (OT) education, minimal attention has been paid to…

This qualitative, grounded theory research study explored the impact of school environment on racial identity among 36 elementary school students of color. The use of an expressive-arts-based questionnaire allowed for rich description of participants' racial identity perception. Findings yielded three themes: racial identity awareness, racial…

Disengagement is a concept that captures the gradual behavioral, affective, and cognitive distancing from school, and is thus an early indicator of students being at risk for dropout. Based on a social identity framework, we predicted that higher social identification with the class and a positive classroom climate would be associated with lower…

Aim: The disproportionate exclusion of Black male pupils from secondary school has been a social justice issue for many decades. There is a greater risk of negative long term outcomes for pupils who are not reintegrated back into school. The aim of this research was to explore how Black male secondary school pupils perceive their experiences of…

We center the voice of Dwyan Moore, a Black 12-year-old boy, during his transition of being diagnosed with a learning dis/Ability. We do so to grapple with the problem of disproportionate representation in special education along race and dis/Ability, with particular attention to educational leadership. Disproportionate representation is a…

Aim(s): To explore secondary aged pupils' perceptions of school belonging across the age range using a mixed-methods, quantitative and qualitative approach, with emphasis on the latter. Rationale: Much research has been from adults' construction of sense of school belonging, rather than pupils' perspectives. The intention of this research was to…

Since the late 1990s, the majority of D/deaf students enter schooling in a mainstream setting. Little has been written about their experiences and how a change in school settings impacts their learning and social identity. In this study, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with nine students, and the results show that their time in a…

The Region 15 Comprehensive Center (R15 CC) and the Regional Educational Laboratory West (REL West), both housed at WestEd, collaborated with the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California State Board of Education (SBE) to conduct an initial landscape analysis to understand the current state of school-based mental health referral…

Special education, for students ages 3 to 21, is guided by federal and state requirements. The federal requirements are referred to as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The state requirements are referred to as the Ohio Operating Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities (Ohio Operating Standards). IDEA…

Only 48.6% of University Council For Educational Administration (UCEA) institutions which focus on social justice in principal preparation programs address sexual orientation, this case describes how the completion of an equity audit for an educational leadership course compelled Principal Olson to reflect on his identity as a social justice…

This article is guided by two goals: (a) to consider how race-based perspectives can serve as theoretical tools for investigating Black adolescents' opportunities to belong at school, and (b) to describe cultural and political aspects of schooling that can support a sense of belongingness among Black adolescents. We discuss support for the…

This analysis examines the influences of family background and faculty political views on student political views at Evangelical colleges and universities. While the college-effects literature confirms that student interaction with faculty, peers, and the institution challenges pre-existing perspectives, many American Evangelical colleges are…

This study uses a microcosmic ethnographic epistemology, critical theory (CT), critical race theory (CRT), critical ethnography (CE), and critical discourse analysis (CDA), to show the nuances of the lived experiences of a diverse group of educators as they negotiated and renegotiated their self-labeling, identity, and culture, and reflected on…

This article explores the experiences, perceptions, support systems, and coping strategies on which parents of youth who identify as transgender rely. Based on data gathered via interviews with parents of youth who identify as transgender and analyzed using the consensual qualitative research method, parental challenges and concerns about their…

An instrument developed for selecting students for gifted programs on the basis of performance and behavior opens up opportunities for interested students to demonstrate their capacity without any taint of elitism. (MLF)